Fire escape



Sept. 22, 1959 Filed Aug. 28, 1956 E. J. MQCONOLOGUE 2,905,261

FIRE ESCAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. fan Aka J NC-CONOLOGUE BY 46kmATTORNEY p 1959 E. J. mcomoLocauz 2,905,261

FIRE ESCAPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filid Aug. 28, 1956 2 W 4 7 l a I 8/ z A UM mi. [a g 6 |l I 3 l0 2 7 xii a1 INVENTOR. EDWARD J /7cC0/v0/ oquE BYflaw Mb A TTORNEY FIRE ESCAPE Edward J. McConologue, San Francisco,Calif.

Application August 28, 1956, Serial No. 606,644

2 Claims. (Cl. 182-85) This invention relates to a fire escape.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a fire escape with acollapsible fire escape ladder of a lazytong type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fire escape ladder ofthe type described which is particularly stable, light and easilyextended and contracted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fire escape ladder inwhich the sides of the same are made of pivoted links arranged on'alazy-tong principle and having the top pair of said links on each sideconsiderably longer than the rest of the links to provide greaterlateral stability for said ladder.

. Another object of this invention is to provide an eflicient and simplebrake for said ladder which permits the expansion of said ladder at adesirable uniform speed.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceedsand the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out inthe claims hereto annexed.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention isillustrated in the form considered to be the best but it is understood,that the invention is not limited to such form; and it is also to beunderstood that in and by the claims following the description, it isdesired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the fire escape.

Fig. 2 is a front view of said fire escape.

Fig. 3 is a side view of said fire escape with the ladder in acontracted position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of said fire escape.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of Fig. 1 n the line -5.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slide plate attached to a beam.

Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of a modified form of theattachment of the ladder to the fire escape balcony.

The fire escape, comprising the subject matter of this inventionconsists of a ladder 1 which is secured to a usual escape balcony 2. Thelatter includes floor beams 3, covered with planks 4, and a railing 5with upper beams 7, to which said ladder is secured in a manner to behereinafter described in detail.

The ladder 1 consists of two sides 10 and 11, connected by rungs 12.Each of said sides is constructed on the lazy-tong principle and isformed of a plurality of links 14 and 15 pivoted at their middles bysaid rungs 12. The ends of said links 14 are pivoted to the ends of thelinks 15, as shown at 17. All the links 14 and 15 are of the uniformlength. However, a pair of the top links and 21 of each side 10 and 11is considerably longer, preferably one and a half times longer than thelinks 14 and 15. Each of the links 20 and 21 is divided by a rung 12, bywhich they are pivoted together, into two unequal portions: a lowerportion 24 and an upper portion 25. The lower portion 24 is equal2,905,261 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 to one half the length of the link 14and 15, while the upper portion 25 is preferably twice the length of thelower portion 24. The longer top links 20 and 21 provide considerablygreater lateral stability for the ladder 1 while the same is used.

The ladder 1 is secured to the balcony 2 in the following manner: A pairof slide plates 28 is secured by welding, or otherwise, to the topofeach upper beam 7. Each of said slide plates is provided with anelongated opening 30. The upper ends of the top links 20 and 21 carrystuds 31 secured thereto, which studs pass through said openings and arefree to slide therein. The free ends of said studs pass beyond theplates 28 and are reduced in diameter at 32 and threaded, and carrywashers 33 and nuts 34 locking said studs in said openings. The studs 31are free to slide in said openings 30. When the ladder 1 is extended, asshown in Fig. 1, the studs 31 occupy the closest position to each other.When the ladder is contracted, the studs 31 occupy the farthest positionfrom each other.

An elongated metal guard plate 36 is secured to said beams 7 and 3 ateach side of the ladder in the middle between said plates 28, whichguard plate extends downwardly from the beam 7 to the beam 3 and somedistance beyond the latter beam and has its lower end flared outwardlyand away from the ladder 1. The guard plates 36 are provided to preventdirect contact of the links 14 and 15, 20 and 21, with the beams 3 andother parts of the balcony 2, in order to bar possible entanglement ofsaid links with the balcony, and to assure proper extension andcontraction of the ladder 1.

The ladder 1 generally is stored on the balcony 2 in a contractedposition, as shown in Fig. 3. It may be extended to the ground in a fewseconds and raised into a contracted position by a mechanismpresently tobe described.

The upper beams 7 carry secured thereto supports 40 in which a shaft 41is journalled. The latter carries a drum 42 having a rope 43 woundthereon. Both ends of the shaft 41 are squared for the purpose ofplacing a handle 45 on either of them for rotating said shaft and drum.

The shaft 41 also carries a cog-wheel 46 thereon which serves as a lockas it will be hereinafter explained.

Another shaft 50 having a drum 51 is arranged in close vicinity to saidladder 1 and parallel to the shaft 41. The shaft 50 is rotatablysupported in brackets 53 secured to said beams 7. The rope 43 of thedrum 42 extends to the drum 51 and is wound about said drum a few timesand is further extended to the first rung 12 and over the samedownwardly to the last rung 12 to which the end of the rope 43 issecured. By rotating the shaft 41, the rope rotates the drum 51 and theshaft 50 and the ladder 1 is gradually collapsed and brought into anupward position, as shown in Fig. 3.

One of the brackets 53 carries a lever 55 pivotally secured theretoabove the shaft 50. The lever 55 carries on one of its ends a loop 56which normally extends to the cog-wheel 46 and engages one of the cogsthereon. The other end of said lever 55 is formed into a handle 57.

When the ladder 1 is in a contracted position, the loop 56 is on one ofthe cogs of the cog-wheel 46 and thus keeps said shaft 50 arrested, andby means of the rope 43 also keeps the ladder 1 suspended in thecontracted position.

To release the ladder 1, the lever 55 is swung in a counterclockwisedirection. This releases the cog-wheel 46 from the loop 56. The weightof the ladder 1 pulls the rope 43 downwardly at an ever increasingspeed.

The rope 43 forces the drums 51 and 42 with their respective shafts torotate. The inertia and the friction of said drums andshafts slows downthe expansion of the ladder 1 to. a desired speed.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of connection between the ladder 1 and thebalcony 2 in which the openings 30a are out directly in the beam,7fa..

Instead of; the shaft 50 andrthe. drum 51, some other means may be. usedfor thepurpose of stabilizing and braking' thedescent of the ladder 1.and for centering the downward movement of therope 43..

I: claim:

1 The combination. with afire; escape balcony having upper beams and:floor beams, of a. fire. escape ladder comprising two sides, a.plurality of rungs connecting said sides; each. of the sides consistingof apair of uppermost. long links, and; aplurality of: short-linkssecured to each other on a lazy-tong principle, said; long; links beingat least one and ahalf times-longer-than the;short links; means forslidably securing the: top ends: of said long links to the upper beams,a first shaft rotatably secured to said upper beams, a first. drumsecured to said. first shaft. for rotatione therewith; a second shaftsecured to said upper-beams, a second drumt carried. by said secondshaft; a rope attached to the. first drum-,said rope extending to thesecond drum and Wound'. therearound, and further extending to. the;lowermost rung and having its. end attached; thereto; a. cog-wheel;secured to. the first shaft, means for engaging; said cogwheel' forarresting the rotation of the. shaft; and for releasing said. cog-wheel;means for rotating the; first shaft for winding said rope on the first;drum. andathus collapsing and raising said ladder, said rope,.drums. andshafts acting as a brake when theladder' expands: downwardly,

2. The combination with a fire escape. balcony, in cluding floor beamscovered with planks. and at railing around the balcony reinforced with:upper beams; of a fire escape ladder comprising two sides, each sideconsisting of a pair of uppermost long links and a plurality of shortlinks secured to each other on a lazy-tong principle, said long linksbeing at least one and a half times longer than the short links; aplurality of rungs connecting said sides, each rung passing through apair of the links and serving as a pivot thereto; said upper beamshaving slots arranged therewith; a stud carried by the upper end of eachof the. top links, each of said studs passing through a respective slotand slidably retained therein; said. sl'ots. being: so spaced from eachother that when thestuds contact the inner ends of the slides, the endof the ladder reaches the ground; a first shaft; rotatably securedto-said. upper beams, afirst drum secured to said first shaft forrotation therewith; a second shaft securedto said upper beams, a seconddrum carried by said second shaft; a rope attached to the first drum,said rope extending to the second drum and Wound therearound, andfurther extending to the lowermost rung and havingv its end attachedthereto; a cog-wheel secured; to) the, first. shaft, means for engaging.said: cogwheel. for. arresting. the rotationz of the shaft, and forreleasing said cog-wheel; means for rotating the first shaftfor windingsaidrope on the first drum and thus collapsing. and raising; said.ladder, said rope-,drums and shafts acting;as. abrake when theladderexpands downwardly-L References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 391,188 Piche Oct. 16', 1888 1,072,024 Morno Sept. 2,1913 1,17-1 7-93 Krbavac Feb. 15, 1916 2,279;594 Patterson Apr. 14',1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 418,344 Great: Britain Oct. 23,1934 762,081 FranceJan. l8, 1934

